Take A Risk
by angelofthanatos
Summary: DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF RR'S CHARACTERS!(unfortunately) Also, major spoilers for HoH. Takes place after the war with Gaea. Will be Percy be able to fix his shattered heart? Will he continue to pursue the girl who broke it? Or will he take a risk and try to get someone else to heal his broken kokoro? Percabeth/Perico/Pernico/Percico WHATEV Reviews and favorites appreciated!


Nico's POV

He lay on his bed, staring at the obsidian walls surrounding him. Torches flickered outside his cabin, creating a ghastly glow inside. Their greenish hue reminded him of the sea, of a pair of eyes the same colour, of Per- No. He could not think of him, wouldn't allow himself to, especially now that he was happy with Annabeth Chase, enjoying themselves at the victory party thrown for the seven heroic demigods. It had only been a few days since the defeat of Gaea and her minions, which was accomplished by the cooperation and teamwork of Greek and Roman demigods. He, along with Coach Hedge and Reyna, took most of the credit for that, lugging the Athena Parthenos halfway across the world, and finally reaching Camp Half-Blood, where they arrived just in time to stop what would've a bloody battle between the Greek and Roman campers.

Nico smirked as he remembered how they'd tied up that no-good traitorous bastard spying on them for Gaea. Octavian, the supposedly loyal Roman augur, legacy of Apollo. Percy had caught him with the Titan Krios and a few of his cronies, discussing how to breach Camp Half-Blood's and Camp Jupiter's defences. His thoughts suddenly turned to Percy Jackson... son of Poseidon, one of the most powerful demigods Nico had ever met... also the only person he'd ever loved. Great, add one more odd trait to his list. Nobody except Jason Grace knew, being with him in his encounter with Cupid in Croatia. Stupid son of Jupiter, overhearing his confession. Stupid Love god, making him confess. He didn't choose this, his father, his feelings... Nico screamed and the earth under him trembled, a skeletal hand found its way to the surface. Shocked, Nico immediately stood up and calmed down. The trembling stopped, and the hand sunk back down. He couldn't let anyone see his weakness, his emotions. He picked up his Stygian sword, and shadow travelled to the only place he could think of: the beach.

Annabeth's POV

"Percy, I'm sorry" said Annabeth. Her gray eyes were teary, and her voice was thick with guilt and other suppressed emotions. "SORRY?! Gods, Annabeth, is that all you have to say? You don't even bother giving me an explanation? What about all we've been through? What about trust? I-"Percy's voice cracked with grief. "I love you" he said. "I love you too, Percy. But Athena's right. We weren't meant to be." Annabeth sniffed and wiped her eyes. Percy's grief quickly turned to anger "You're breaking up with me because of what your mother said?" he asked, referring to the lecture that the goddess of Wisdom had given them a few days ago. Annabeth had sided with her mother, which resulted in arguments and quarrels between them that occurred quite often. Annabeth had started having doubts about them, so she suggested giving their relationship a break, in order to give her some time to think. She stood in the doorway of Percy's cabin, along with her luggage.

"Maybe my mother was right. Maybe we _were_ just paired up by the Fates in order to defeat Gaea and her minions. Think about it, if I hadn't been there with you in Tartarus, what would have kept you going? Who would you have thought of when you bathed in the river Styx? As harsh as it might sound, our relationship was only for our survival. We wouldn't have survived without each other. You don't need me now. The war is over, Percy." She said bitterly. "I'm going back to San Francisco". "Annabeth, you can't! It's not safe!" Percy argued. "I can take care of myself!" she snapped. Percy cringed visibly, and her heart softened. They were both quiet enough to hear the commotion of the party going on outside, from which they'd escaped. "I'll be fine, Seaweed Brain" she said. "_I_ won't" Percy said in a hurt voice. "I'm sorry, Percy. I really am." whispered Annabeth. She left Cabin 3, but not before turning around to catch one last glimpse of Percy. He had slunk down on the floor, head against the doorway. What hurt her most were his eyes. They stared at her, with an expression of one who had been robbed of the thing he cared for most in the world.

Percy's POV

He slunk down on the floor, watching her leave. He felt nothing. He refused to acknowledge what had just happened. Only when Annabeth was out of sight did the reality come crashing down. He felt blind and lost in thousands of emotions swirling around him, but he could only name three: Hurt, Grief, and Anger. He stood up, shut the door, and stumbled around. He grabbed a lamp by his bedside and threw it at a wall, where it shattered into pieces. He let loose a guttural scream, which subsided into helpless sobbing. Without really thinking, he got up and went to the only place he could think of: the beach.

He felt a bit comforted as he inhaled the salty air and heard the spray of water. The tide was relentless, crashing down on the sand with fury. It was as if the sea had aligned itself to his current mood. The beach was all black and white, with the full moon shining against the sand, illuminating the person who was standing ankle-deep in the surf. Percy felt irritated and angry at the intruder, and was about to shout at the person to get away when he saw who it was. Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades, apparently had the same idea as Percy. The moon shone on his gaunt, pale face, his raven hair stuck up in tufts, his hazelnut eyes were sunken and framed by long dark lashes. As always, he wore a black shirt inside his black aviator jacket. He wore black jeans, which hung from his painfully thin frame. His Stygian sword hung at his side from a chain belt, black as a nightmare. Nico was shaking all over, though he did not seem to be crying. He appeared to be muttering something, and as Percy got closer, he could make out a few words such as "Stupid Love god" "Stupid confession" "Stupid son of Jupiter" "Stupid, clueless son of the sea god" each sentence delivered with a throw of a pebble. Percy didn't want to startle an angry son of Hades, especially when the said demigod seemed to be angry at _him_. So Percy approached him, not too close, and cleared his throat. "Hey."

Nico's POV

Nico gasped and dropped the pebble he was about to throw. He felt annoyed that he'd let his guard down. In a flash, he drew his Stygian sword and pointed it at the newcomer, whose hands were raised in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, Zombie Dude. Mind putting that sword away from my throat?" the person said. Nico squinted at the speaker, obviously a guy, and was surprised to see who it was.

"P-Percy?" the newcomer smiled "Who else?" Nico relaxed and lowered his sword. "What in Tartarus were you thinking? I could've impaled you, idiot!" he growled. "Sorry about that." said Percy as he flopped down on the sand. Nico noticed that Percy's eyes were red and bloodshot. Had he been crying? None of your business, Nico, he chided himself. He turned around to go away, but a hand caught his wrist. "Oh no, you don't. Get back here, di Angelo." "Don't. Touch. Me." said Nico with a look that could've sent the dead scurrying. "No." Percy said firmly as he pulled Nico down beside him. "We need to talk."

Percy's POV

The kid seriously needs to eat once in a while, Percy thought. I mean, look at him! He looks like one of the skeletal ghosts himself. "What, Percy?" asked Nico. Percy dropped his gaze, embarrassed. He didn't realize he'd been staring. "Uh, nothing. I noticed you and Jason have been acting, I dunno, weird, since you came back from Croatia. I was worried. What happened back there?" he asked. Nico paled and stared at the sea. "Nothing." He answered. "Yeah, right. I may be _stupid_ and_ clueless, _but I wasn't born yesterday, Nico." snorted Percy. Nico paled even more and asked "What did you hear?" Percy shrugged "Not much. You insulting Cupid and Jason." Nico exhaled, a bit of colour returning to his face. "Good." "Come on, Nico. I know you confessed something to Cupid. I'm not _that_ stupid. So, who's the girl?" Percy asked. "W-What girl? There's no one! I swear!" said Nico too quickly. "That girl sure is lucky, having you to care for her." Percy said. Wait, what did he just say? He mentally scolded himself. Anyway, he meant that in a brotherly way, right?

Nico's POV

Wait, what did he just say? No, Nico, he chided himself. He meant that in a brotherly way. Obviously. Percy leaned back on the sand, his hands supporting him. He looked distracted and sad as he gazed at the stars above. "Look, there's Zoë's constellation." He pointed at the Huntress above. Nico nodded. They were both silent for a minute when Nico plucked up the courage to ask "What happened to you?" Percy took a shaky breath and grabbed a fistful of sand. Nico thought he was going to shout at him, but all he did was release the sand particles in the wind and watch them scatter. "She-she dumped me. Annabeth. Said we weren't meant to be." "Oh." was all Nico could say. There was a stirring in his chest-was that Hope? But he quickly shook it off. He should be comforting him, not enjoying his sadness! "I'm sorry" Nico said. "S'okay" Percy replied.

He hated himself for doing this, but what did he have to lose? His dignity? Long gone. Left in Croatia. Nico took a deep breath, and began "Percy... when we encountered Cupid, I-I had to make some sort of confession. You were right." Percy looked at him. What am I doing?! He just went through A BREAKUP. Idiot. He mentally scolded himself. Too late to turn back now. How would I say it? What would I say? A million sappy possibilities ran through his head. Instead, he said "Percy, I like you." Silence. Percy stared at him, confused. "I thought you hated me. It was my fault that Bianca-"Percy was cut off by a derisive laugh. "HATE you?! Then why in Hades did I promise to lead the seven to Epirus? Why would I rush back to the Labyrinth to save you when Minos told me you were in danger? Why would I do all those for someone I hate?" Nico screamed at him. "Well, I guess _am_ stupid and clueless, aren't I?"Percy managed a weak smile. Nico just stared at him. "Why aren't you disgusted?"he asked. "Why would I be? You're my friend." Nico scanned the other boy's face for any signs of disgust, pity, sympathy. There was none, only a slight flush in his cheeks. He had expected a more negative reaction. Confused, Nico ran away from the beach, too dazed to shadow travel. He didn't get far before an arm hooked around his waist and dragged him back. "PERCY! Let go of me you idiot!" Nico muttered a few more unflattering Ancient Greek curses as he and Percy wrestled on the ground. When they had finally untangled themselves, they both stood up. Nico delivered a punch to Percy's shoulder, which caused to other boy to wince in pain. "Ow." "You stupid, idiotic son of a sea god!" Nico growled, frustrated. "I wanted to make sure you were okay! You, who saved my life more than once! I was worried, Nico! Gods, did you expect me to be disgusted at you? Did you really think I'd stoop that low?"exclaimed Percy in a hurt voice. He started walking back towards the beach, leaving a fuming son of Hades behind. Without thinking, Nico marched right up to the sea god's son, grabbed his shirt collar, and pulled the Percy's face down on his. Percy stiffened in surprise, but his lips were as soft as velvet. He didn't try to push Nico away, and neither did he kiss him back. Nico pulled away after a second, his face as flushed as if he'd been running a marathon. Percy was wide-eyed, shocked at what had just happened. Nico was so dazed he almost couldn't shadow travel away, but he did, just as Percy reached for his arm, he melted into the darkness.

Percy's POV

He tried to grab his arm, but it was too late. Nico had already shadow travelled away, leaving a very bewildered Percy standing on the beach. Stunned, Percy stumbled and flopped down on the sand, trying to make sense of what happened. Nico... KISSED me... he thought. His mind was reeling from a thousand questions that he couldn't answer. Did that just happen? Where am I? Who am I? Was that even allowed? Then again, the Olympian gods weren't exactly models of good behaviour. Argh, what was he thinking? He just broke up with his girlfriend! That wasn't supposed to happen! He suddenly felt ashamed and guilty for doing all those things with Annabeth in front of Nico. Sure, Annabeth had teased him for being dumb, but how could he not have noticed the pain in Nico's eyes? Percy actually believed the rumours of his crush on Annabeth. He had thought that was the reason for the bitter glances Nico always shot them when he and Annabeth were together. He didn't expect... THIS. He got up, brushed the sand from his clothes, and tried to think where a certain son of Hades might possibly be.

Nico's POV

"Stupid, stupid, stupid IDIOT!" Nico repeatedly cursed himself. "_Vlacas"_ he muttered to himself while he swung his Stygian sword at a straw dummy. After the incident, Nico had transported himself to the big circular arena where the sword-fighting lessons were held. It was about 7 in the morning, so there was no danger of intruders, as the campers wouldn't wake up for a few more hours. He hacked the head off another dummy furiously, He threw his sword at another, impaling it directly in the middle, and kicked it underneath, dislodging it from its stand. He removed his sword from its torso, and stabbed it repeatedly, wishing it was Percy instead. When the dummy was nothing but a pile of straw, Nico stepped back, breathing heavily. "If you're going to fight like that all the time, maybe I should anger you more often" said a voice behind him. Nico almost choked on his own tongue as he turned around to stare at the speaker. "I told you to leave me alone, Percy" he said, dangerously quiet. "As you might've noticed, I'm not really good at doing what other people tell me to." retorted Percy. He took advantage of Nico's shock and wrapped a hand around his wrist. "Now, I've blocked all entrances, so you can't possibly escape. If you try to, you'll have to fight me first. If you decide to shadow travel, then you're taking me with you." he said referring to the hand that was braceleted around Nico's wrist. All the fight and denial seemed to go out of Nico as he leaned on a wooden dummy nearby. "All right, Percy" he said tiredly. "What do you want?" "I want to talk to you. Was all that true?" asked Percy. Nico's only reply was a nod. "Then I want you to know that I don't mind, and I won't judge you. You're still my friend. And nothing will change that." declared Percy. "But I also want you to know that... I still love Annabeth. I'm sorry." Nico stared at him, wide-eyed. This was more than he dared hope for. "Are-are you sure? Do you swear it? No, I-I don't believe you!" stuttered Nico. "Take a risk, Nico. Trust me." Percy pleaded with his sea-green eyes. Of course Nico believed him, who could ever resist those stupid baby-seal eyes of his? After a moment's silence, Nico replied "Alright" and straightened up. He shook off Percy's hand, which was still around his wrist, and shadow travelled back to Cabin 13.

Percy's POV

He watched as Nico once more melted into darkness. The next day, Nico was nowhere to be seen. Percy was worried. Was he alright? Where would a son of Hades be? Lost in thought, Percy wandered around camp until he bumped into their Oracle. Literally. Percy rubbed his forehead and gave Rachel a rueful smile. "Watch where you're going, Percy! These are ancient, thousand year-old scrolls. You might want to be careful next time." Said the Oracle of Delphi as she gave him an angry look. "Oh yeah, the Sibylline Books. I forgot you were transporting them to Camp Jupiter today." They had somehow recovered the books of prophecy during the war with Gaea. Rachel huffed and continued to walk when Percy called out "Hey Rachel! Do you know where Nico might be?" she stopped in her tracks and her eyes narrowed suspiciously "Yeah. He's in his cabin." Percy mentally face-palmed himself for not thinking about it. Maybe he _was_ stupid and clueless. "Why?" Rachel's sharp voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Oh, nothing." Percy blushed. Wait, why was he blushing? "Whatever, Percy. Just stay out of trouble, 'kay?" Rachel called out, already resuming her pace. Sighing, Percy walked over to Cabin 13.

Nico's POV

Sunlight streamed into his dark room, the door open wide. A silhouetted figure stood in the doorway. Nico grabbed his Stygian sword and growled "Who's there?" "Get out of there, Zombie Dude, or you'll end up dead yourself." Replied a familiar voice. Nico groaned and went back under the covers, only to have them ripped out of his clutch. "PERCY!" he yelled furiously. Percy cheerfully held up a blanket, with Riptide pointed at Nico's throat. The son of Hades was unable to move, much less grab his sword. "We're going to do our activities today. Notice I said _we._ You're coming with me. And you can't refuse, unless you want a Celestial Bronze sword up your nose." Said Percy. "I'm going to kill you, Percy" Nico threatened with an expression as dark as Tartarus. "You can do that later at sword training. I'm giving you 5 minutes to look decent." He tossed Nico his blanket and walked out of the room. Nico groaned and flopped back on his bed. "5 minutes!" called Percy from outside.

Percy's POV

*Le time skip for a few hours...*

"Okay, that's canoeing covered. Up next is sword training" said a dripping wet Percy dragging along with him an equally-soaked, infuriated son of Hades. "Finally, something you're decent at." Joked Percy. They had been to the lava-spewing climbing wall, where Nico's hair was partially disintegrated. He hated pegasi, and the feeling was mutual, so only Percy ended up riding them while Nico watched from below. Next was archery, which Nico was actually pretty good at. Percy stopped after Chiron pulled a stray arrow out of his tail. They had finally reached the circular arena where the sword fighting lessons were being held. They could hear the ringing of metal as the blades clashed against each other. They entered the arena, where Will Solace was teaching the newcomers. "Hey Percy, Nico!" he waved to them. "Wanna give these guys a demo?" he asked. "We'd love to." Percy replied, dragging Nico along, who looked as if he'd rather be anywhere than there.

Percy's POV

They circled each other, blades raised. "You are _so _dead, Seaweed Brain." Taunted Nico. "Bring it on, Zombie Dude!" retorted Percy as their swords clashed. Unfortunately, Nico didn't spend his time in the Underworld being idle. He'd raised the best dead warriors, heroes, and sparred with them. Percy knew that. Nico smirked, and faked a swing to his left. Percy dodged it easily and swung Riptide just in time to block Nico's Stygian blade. He tried to kick Percy's feet from under him, but Percy leaped nimbly backwards, and tried to knock Nico out using Riptide's hilt which would've caused him a concussion, had Nico not blocked it quickly. Man, Nico was _good._ Almost as good as he was. He slashed furiously with his sword like a devil, radiating death. But Percy's ADHD kicked in, and everything seemed to slow down, he could anticipate Nico's attacks, but only just. Nico kept stabbing, slashing, occasionally jabbing at Percy's lowered guard. Percy didn't know where he learned to fight like that. Maybe during his stay at Camp Jupiter? Maybe in the Underworld? Percy didn't know, only that Nico's fighting style was different.

Nico's POV

Nico could see the campers watching in awe through his peripheral vision. Time slowed down between the two fighters, but to the onlookers, they were probably just a blur of bronze and black. Percy was tiring quickly, he could see that. He faked another swipe to Percy's left, and then while his right side was unguarded, struck it with the flat of his sword. Percy stumbled, but didn't fall. Nico took advantage of this and tried to kick Percy's feet out from under him again, and this time/ Percy fell flat on his _podex._

Percy's POV

The black and bronze blur stopped, and a few onlookers whistled appreciatively at the scene before them; Nico's nightmare-ish sword was only a few inches away from Percy's chest. Percy was on the ground. They were both breathing heavily. Percy looked dazed and surprised; no camper except for Luke Castellan had _ever _beaten him in a sword fight before. Nico smirked again and offered Percy his hand, which he accepted gladly. He helped him stand up, and Percy looked at the other boy. His raven hair tousled, aviator's jacket slung on one shoulder. He didn't even break a sweat, though his pale cheeks were slightly flushed. His eyes were lowered, lashes brushing his cheeks slightly. How come Percy never noticed how long his lashes were?

Nico's POV

Nico looked up to see Percy's gorgeous sea-green eyes staring at him with a kind of wonder. He flushed even darker and looked down again, only to turn a garish cherry-red complexion as he saw that their hands were still entwined. Somebody in the crowd coughed pointedly, and Percy, who had turned almost the exact shade of red as Nico, let go. "Um, sorry." Said Percy. "You, um, did great, Nico! I'll... see you later. Bye." He ran out of the arena, with Nico's eyes following him as he left. "Great?! You just beat Percy Jackson! The greatest sword fighter in camp, next to Luke Castellan! And you beat him! Nice, dude!" exclaimed Will Solace as he clapped him on the back. "Uh, thanks. I'll see you guys later." And with that, Nico raced out of the arena, and headed to the quiet safety of his cabin, where there'd be no more activities, no more sunlight, and no more stupid, attractive sons of sea gods.

Little did he know, he was wrong about the last part.

Percy's POV

Stupid, stupid, stupid. He mentally cursed himself for allowing what had happened between them. He hadn't realized he he'd been staring at Nico's raven hair, ivory skin, and warm, chocolate brown eyes. Wait, WHAT? Okay, he needed to stop this. But a pestering voice kept whispering in his head the question he badly wanted an answer to: _Do you like him?_ Yes? No? Maybe? He wasn't sure. Wasn't sure of anything. Except... he needed to talk to Nico. As soon as possible. He stood up and headed for Cabin 13.

Nico's POV

He finally arrived at the cabin, its gloomy atmosphere comforting him. Yet something was wrong. He was pretty sure he hadn't left the door ajar when he had gone to do activities with Percy. Percy... his heart fluttered when he saw the son of the sea god staring at him, as if he were one of the wonders of the world. No, he shook his head. He couldn't think of that now. There was an intruder in his cabin, and he was going to make him pay. He entered silently, and swung his sword around. Huh. Nobody here, he thought. He sat down on his bed... and a small moan emitted from the other side. Nico screamed bloody murder (which wasn't like him) and drew his sword. "Show yourself!" he snarled. "Ow" said Percy, rubbing his head ruefully. "That's the second time I've bumped my head today" he muttered. "What the hell were you doing in here?" asked Nico. "I was waiting for you. I wanted to talk to you, but I fell asleep out of exhaustion. Sorry. Been a rough day." Percy said with a smile that made Nico forgive him instantly. "What did you want to talk about?" Nico asked, leaning against the wall. "Um, you know how it is when a-a person likes someone, and-and-"Percy stuttered. "Yes?" Nico asked innocently. "Well, I-I wanted you to know that I've moved on from Annabeth, and I-uh, thought maybe that, um, that shouldn't keep me from loving anyone else, so-" Percy was interrupted by the dinner horn. They both jumped. "What was it?" asked Nico. "Maybe, um, later. Bye." He caressed Nico's cheek and ran out of the cabin.

Percy's POV

WHAT HAD HE DONE?! WHY DID HE DO THAT? Percy banged his head repeatedly against the wall. He was back in his cabin. He'd join the others for dinner later. But right now, he was ready to answer the pestering voice inside his head. _Yes, I do like Nico._ He just didn't know how to tell him. "Pe-e-e-ercy?" a bleat snapped him out of his reverie, followed by several knocks on his door. "C'mon du-u-u-ude! Don't forget that we have Capture the Flag tonight with the Romans! Fourth of July today, reme-e-ember?" reminded Grover. "Yeah, sure. I'll be right there!" said Percy. He sighed and followed Grover to the pavilion.

Hundreds of campers were milling about, Roman and Greek. They'd invited Camp Jupiter over for the feast. Percy's eyes automatically scanned the crowd for any sign of Nico. Finally, he spotted him. He was sitting with Frank and Hazel, watching the other two have a conversation, while fiddling with a Mythomagic figurine. Then, as if by some strange hidden magnet, Nico met his eyes. Percy didn't know how long it lasted, but Chiron's booming voice cut their connection. He banged his hoof on the table. "Campers! We welcome you here today in honour of the Independence Day..." the centaur droned on about how gratified they were to have them for company. Percy looked back at Nico, but the son of Hades was looking down, the figurine pocketed in his aviator jacket. "So, I bet tonight's Capture the Flag will be... interesting. Please refrain from maiming and/or killing each other. Any injuries will be immediately treated by the dryads at the healing station. The giant eagles will be roaming around just in case. Praetors Frank Zhang, Reyna Arellano, and I will be playing referee. The game begins in an hour, so let us begin the feast!"

Plates appeared before each camper accompanied with a magic goblet. Percy's plate immediately produced a cheeseburger (blue, of course) and blue cherry soda. He looked over at Nico, who was smiling dryly at a pomegranate. Jason Grace sat down beside him, along with his girlfriend Piper Mclean. He nodded at both of them in acknowledgement, and went back to staring at the son of Hades. Jason glanced at him, and then drew an imaginary line pointing to where he was looking at. He gasped "Aha! Why are you staring at Nico?" he inquired with a devilish waggle of his brows. "You like him, don't you?" he teased. "A little louder, Grace, I don't think they heard you over there." Grumbled Percy. "Okay. Hey, did you know that Percy li- UMPH! MMF! "His words were cut off short by Percy's hand, clamped on his mouth. "Shut up or you'll get a cheeseburger stuck in your nose" threatened Percy. Jason's eyes twinkled mischievously as he nodded assent. "So, does he know?" he asked. "No Jason, now shut up, please?" Percy said as he took a bite of his cheeseburger. "But-"this time, it was Piper's hand that shut him up. "Sorry Percy, I swear he acts like a girl sometimes. Come on, Grace." Apologized Piper as she dragged Jason away from the table. "Thanks, Pipes" said Percy. The horn blew again, signalling the end of dinner. They all stood up and ran off to prepare for tonight's game.

"Man, you gotta tell him." Said Jason while adjusting the straps on his armour. Percy gave him a whack on the head "Shut. Up. I will. Just not now, okay?" he hissed. "Whatever, dude." Jason rolled his eyes. "Attention, campers! Red team will be Romans! Blue will be our side!" announced Chiron. "You may have 5 minutes to strategize! Begin!" all eyes turned to Percy, as he was the next best strategist now that Annabeth was gone. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Hermes cabin, you, Hecate and Morpheus can distract them. Try to cause as many diversions as you can." The Stoll brothers high-fived each other. "Dionysus, Ares, Athena, Iris, Aphrodite, you take the left flank. Round them up so that Demeter, Nemesis, Hephaestus, and Apollo could meet them at the right flank. That way, they'll be trapped." The campers nodded in agreement. "I'll need volunteers to capture the enemy's flag. Who can do it?" Clarisse and a few of her siblings raised their hands. So did Piper and Leo. A few from Athena. "Great. Now all that's settled-""Who's going to watch the flag?" someone inquired. Percy cursed himself for not thinking about that. "I'll do it." A voice said. Nico di Angelo stepped forward, radiating death in his black armour with a blue plume atop his helmet. He leaned on his Stygian sword. Nobody objected; they'd seen him fight Percy earlier. "Uh, s-sure. You'll need a partner, though. Any volunteers?" he asked. "Why don't _you_ do it?" somebody called out. Percy was ready to bet his sword that the speaker was Piper. "You're a good fighter, Percy! You should _definitely_ stay with Nico!" she piped up, using her charmspeak. The campers nodded at this. "_Fine." _ He glared at her. "Everybody knows what to do? Good luck!" they scattered, taking their positions. Nico studied him warily, and said "So, where's the flag?"

The place he'd chosen for the flag was perfect. A clearing surrounded by huge boulders, identical to Zeus' Fist. There was a stream nearby, handy if Percy got injured. He could also use it as a weapon. He could hear the chaos of the battle not far from their spot. Hannibal the elephant was included. He could hear Leo screaming "I'M GONNA ROAST YOU WITH MY HOTNESS!" Percy chuckled at him. He could almost imagine him yelling while shooting kick-ass fireballs. That guy never could lose his sense of humour. "What?" asked Nico. He'd almost forgotten he was there. "Uh, nothing. I thought I heard Leo" Nico smirked. This was it. The perfect moment to tell him. "So, uh, Nico, what I was going to say awhile ago..." he was cut short by Jason and Hazel storming into the clearing. Why was he always being interrupted?! "Great timing, Grace. _Great timing."_ Growled Percy. "You were gonna tell him? That can wait. Our victory comes first" and with that, Jason smirked and attacked Percy.

Nico was busy battling Hazel, but he parried her strike and butted her on the head with his sword hilt. "Tell me _what, _Percy?" he yelled. Hazel groaned and retaliated with speed, summoning jewels that targeted her brother. Nico managed to raise a wall of black energy just in time to send the expensive shards shattering. "Nothing!" yelled back Percy with difficulty as he tried the disarming manoeuvre on Jason, who swatted his sword away easily. "Tell him! TELL HIM!" Jason kept yelling while he slashed at Percy, fighting in the Roman style, which Percy wasn't used to. Nico bumped into him from behind, swinging his sword. "I can't see! HAZEL!" he screamed at his half-sister, who was controlling the Mist, clouding Nico's sight. "Sorry, brother. All's fair in love and war." Said Hazel as she got closer to the flag. "No!" screamed Percy. He concentrated on the gurgling stream, all the while fighting Jason. He knew he'd succeeded in controlling it when he heard a splash and an infuriated scream behind him. The distraction was just what Nico needed. Hazel lost control of the Mist and was sitting on the ground, drenched with water. She blinked the water out of her eyes, only to see her brother's blade a few inches from them. "All's fair in love and war, Hazel." He grinned wickedly. Hazel muttered something about stupid traitor brothers as she got up.

Meanwhile, Percy was having the fight of his life with Jason. "Need help?" Nico called out. "Oh, Percy needs your help more than you think, Nico." Said Jason meaningfully. Percy lashed his foot out to kick him, but Jason grabbed and pulled him forward, making him land flat on his _podex. _Again. "Why won't you just tell him, Percy?" Jason said, breathing heavily, his golden blade only a few inches away from Percy's chest. Percy kicked out his legs from under him, almost impaling Jason on his own sword. Percy quickly stood up. Now their positions were reversed. "Do you think it's _that _easy, Grace? I can't just rush forward and tell Nico I like him back! He'll think that I was just-" Percy stopped short, his eyes widening as they fell on Nico, who was watching them fight. This meant he saw and heard the whole thing. "N-n-n-nico?" choked out Percy. "Was that what you were going to tell me a while ago?" asked Nico, his eyes softening. Percy nodded silently. A cheer erupted from the other side of the forest. "We won! WE WON!" they could hear the Stoll brothers yelling as their group rallied out of the woods, carrying a big red banner.

Jason got up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and said "Well, we'll give you two some privacy." And with a wicked grin, he tapped Hazel's shoulder. "Race ya back?" "You are _so_ going to lose, Jason Grace." And they ran off, but not before Hazel gave them a suspicious glance. An awkward pause passed between the two. _Man up, Jackson_. He thought to himself. He looked at Nico, who was staring at the stars. "So, um, we won!" said Percy, trying to break the tension between them. "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." Replied Nico sarcastically, but when he looked back at him, Percy could see that his eyes were teasing. "You _are _stupid and clueless, Seaweed Brain." He smirked as he moved towards Percy. They were so close now that their faces were only inches apart. "Not to mention devilishly handsome" added Percy as he struck a ridiculous provocative pose. Nico's expression turned serious and he asked "So, is it true? Do you really, um, like me back?" Percy leaned towards the other boy and closed the remaining space between their lips. He pulled back after a second, enjoying the varying colour in Nico's cheeks. "Does that answer your question?" "I still don't believe you." teased Nico, but he smiling now, more happily than Percy had ever seen him before. They were startled by a loud _bang!_ The firework show had already begun; the Hephaestus campers had really outdone themselves tonight. "Well then," said Percy as he wrapped an arm around Nico's waist, pulling him forward and making their foreheads touch "You'll just have to take a risk and trust me." They both stopped talking, and unconsciously added a pretty little _tableau_ of love and happiness to the colourful scene above them.


End file.
